Which Palm Is California's Most Native?

[JasonD]

The notion that a palm naturally grows amidst common native-California plants like Monterey pine and toyon in habitat has always been what fascinates me about Guadalupe palms and Guadalupe Island.

I wrote a blog post at the Palm Broker talking about Brahea edulis, the Guadalupe palm, as a kind of California native. Got some good pictures in there, too.

Palm Broker blog

What do you think?

[Kris]

1) California Fan Palm - COLD HARDY (Washingtonia filifera).

The Link !

2) CALIFORNIA QUEEN PALM Syagrus romanzoffianum COLD HARDY

The Link !

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[_Keith]

W. filifera hands down. Done.

[tropicbreeze]

The only references I've seen for Brahea edulis indicate it only comes from Guadalupe so it can't be a California native. Maybe it can become naturalised there, but that's a different thing.

Likewise Syagrus romanzoffianum, a native of Brazil and Argentina.

[sarasota alex]

California, the state? or California the region, which would include Mexican states of Baja California and Baja California Sur? and Guadalupe Island

[tropicbreeze]

California is a political entity, as are Baja California and Baja California Sur. They're within politically delineated boundaries, not within any natural boundaries. The only natural boundary would be the island of Guadalupe as opposed to the continental/mainland areas.

[Tyrone]

You see almost no Brahea's in our Californian similar climate over here. Washingtonia's on the other hand pop up in median strips, street drains and bushland without any irrigation.

Best regards

Tyrone

[John Case]

Jason,

California native speaks to me to be only those palms that are native to the state and Baja......if that is the case, only those palms with a natural range inside this are should be considered native. We are lucky to be able to grow almost anything here in the state, but naturalized palms, such as Queens, which will become a pox on the land in newer neighborhoods in the next few years, are not native.....Go with Washingtonias for sure, not so sure of Braheas of any species even though I like em a lot!

[BS Man about Palms]

Jason, did you mean "Native" or "Common" ? (Although they are almost the same I would bet, but not the Brahea on either count)

[DoomsDave]

Hmm.

If you mean, the State of California, U.S.A., then I think there's only one, Washie filifera, though I suppose some of the Mexican Braheas might have gotten up into the desert near the Salton sea, since palms aren't political, people are.

If you mean Baja California, there's Baja norte, which is the top half of the peninsula and Baja Sur, the bottom half. For those places, Braheas and Washie robusta, I would think.

[sarasota alex]

Guadalupe Island is part of the Baja California state.

[JASON M]

Washingtonia Filifera, no questions asked.

Queen palm is from Brazil? Or somewhere in SA.

[Cristóbal]

The only palm native of california (usa) is washingtonia filifera.

The 5 palms native of baja california peninsula are washingtonia filifera, washingtonia robusta, brahea armata, brahea brandegeei, brahea edulis. All grow in both states of baja california (norte) and baja california sur, less brahea edulis (only in the island of guadalupe, baja california norte).

Brahea armata grows close to border of california (usa) in these areas (cañon de guadalupe, cañones de la rumorosa), but they never find this palm growing in usa.

Edited May 15, 2010 by Cristóbal

[Morabeza]

Great article Jason, thank you for sharing the link here.

Either I am misunderstanding the responses or I'm afraid most of you are missing the point of the article. There was no assertion that Brahea edulis is literally native to the California/Baja California mainland. Guadalupe Island is just as 'native Californian' as are the Channel Islands north of the border. Together with the mainland these make up the California Floristic Province whose borders are what naturalists and scientists use to more accurately define uniquely Californian ecosystems and their flora. As I understand it, the article is hypothesizing about how appropriate B. edulis is for coastal California considering that it evolved with other very familiar mainland native plant species such as Monterey pine, Manzanita and Toyon, hence its 'native-ness'.

I think it's a wonderful way to think about this palm species.

[ghar41]

Interesting article Jason, Brahea edulis is uniquely suited for California. Ive always hoped to see it planted more often along the Central Coast, along with Parajubaea, rather than the Washingtonia's that I believe look better inland. I was in Aptos, near Santa Cruz, last weekend and the Washies there look like hell.

Here in the Central Valley, Washingtonia's grow like gangbusters, with seeds germinating in the cracks of sidewalks. But they look nothing like the Washingtonia filifera's that Ive seen growing in Indio, CA and the Coachella Valley. The leaves have a glaucous color that Ive not seen in cooler temperatures.

Brahea edulis, on the other hand, look much better, and are growing in any sun orientation. I must admit though, Ive never seen it in habitat.

[Cristóbal]

I see in Ensenada the city they start to plant Brahea Armata as street palm. If you go there see the highway transpeninsula going south to Maneadero, they plant many in the middle of the highway. I think in 10 years this is to look very nice. Brahea Edulis is for me my not favorite palm of the Braheas, but I think I check for it in this highway when I work there in this week.